Lisa Mashburn, left, and her friend, Libby Miller, congratulate each other after having their hair shaved off during a fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation on Saturday at Wild Wing Café in City Market.

“Her brother shaves his head each St. Baldrick’s — this is the third year he’s done it and he helps raise money for (childhood cancer) research.”

Christian was among more than 100 participants — including more than 20 women — to have their heads shaved Saturday during the 10th annual event in Savannah to raise funds for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

The foundation donates more to childhood cancer research than any other private organization.

“We’re trying to show support for these people, these families who have been affected by having a child with cancer — who’ve had to battle with this,” said Dr. Yael Elfassy, the event’s organizer.

Elfassy, a resident at Memorial University Medical Center, participates in the event each year.

“I love it,” she said of having her head buzzed. “It’s easy maintenance — it saves me probably a good 20 minutes in the morning.

“But it means a lot more than that.”

Saturday’s event, Elfassy estimated, raised upward of $50,000.

Much of that money will stay in the local community, where more than 40 children are diagnosed with cancer each year, said Dr. Martin Johnston, the director of pediatric oncology at Memorial University Medical Center.

While about 80 percent of children who are diagnosed with cancer survive, it’s still the single most deadly disease among them, said Johnston, whose own son survived leukemia and is now a 20-year-old junior in college.

“This event is raising much-needed money for extremely important research,” Johnston said. “It’s a great event every year because it gives everyone — these families and their friends and caregivers — a chance to get together and show solidarity in shaving their heads.”

It can also be healing, said Melody Moore, who lost her 15-year-old son in February 2012 after a 13-month battle with cancer.

“We’ve met so many wonderful people along our journey, and coming here and supporting this and supporting cancer research for our kids is a big part of that,” she said.

“We’re just going to keep paying it forward, because so many people helped us along our way, and we want to support all the children out there that are still in the fight.”

Though she did not shave her head this year, Moore said she plans to do it next year.

“You can bet on it, next year, I’ll be here, and I’m going to let them shave all the hair off my head,” she said.